1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to carrier-free deflection electrophoresis.
2. Description of the Related Art
Carrier-free deflection electrophoresis has previously been used exclusively in continuous processes. This process in fact yields outstanding results in a continuous operation if the negative influence of the laminar flow profile on the bandwidth of the substances to be separated can be minimized or not even come into play. This applies in particular to the process of continuous isoelectric focusing.
In all electromigration processes of deflection electrophoresis, the widening of the band caused by the laminar flow profile of the separating medium (media) triggers a serious deterioration in separation capacity.
The basics of carrier-free deflection electrophoresis in continuous processes were already described in the literature over 30 years ago, including in the 1968 yearbook of the Max-Planck company on pp. 117-137. This process is also described under the term FFE (free flow electrophoresis) or CFE (continuous flow electrophoresis). (K. Hannig: Carrier-free continuous electrophoresis and its application. Anal. Chem. 181, 233 (1961); M. C. Roman and P. R. Brown: Anal. Chem. Free Flow Electrophoresis. 66(N2), 86-94, (1994); R. Braun, H. Wagner and G. Weber: Preparative Free Flow Electrophoresis--a powerful procedure for separating natural substances, GIT Fachzeitschrift fur das Laboratorium 39 (1995), 317-322).
FFE separation procedures are used to separate ions of any molecular weight up to bioparticles. It is here irrelevant whether the sample to be separated is charged itself, or whether the charge came about via the addition or sorption of ions.